


Respectfully I hope you rot in hell

by byanynamebutrose



Category: Now You See Me (Movies)
Genre: Cock Tease, Cock Warming, Daddy Issues, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Finger Sucking, Flirting, Kinky, Magic, Magic Fingers, Moaning, Mommy Issues, Power Dynamics, Reader-Insert, Sexual Tension, Slow Romance, Switching, Teasing, how much sarcasm is too much sarcasm?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:01:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28971741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byanynamebutrose/pseuds/byanynamebutrose
Summary: a world where y/n unfortunately is forced to work with her old act partner, Daniel atlas, once she becomes a 4 horsemen.sorry to Henley i love her but the only way i could write y/n into this world is if she essentially replaces her. idk why i'm writing this but whatever
Relationships: J. Daniel Atlas/Reader
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> idk why im writing this but why not, also sorry for any late updates i do have school.

prologue

i always did have the unfortunate luck of having my personal life and career involve Daniel atlas. most people get off with just an occasional collaboration or his scorn and criticism. At first it started as a partner act we had come in with in high school and sort of spiraled after I overheard him saying to some potential investors he was drinking up that I was just a piss poor magician with her tits out and that I was weighing him down. our relationship then quickly dissolved into a long mutual hatred that was notoriously nasty. After his drunken comment, I came out with a statement that I posted on our website before I left that described his act, routine, and tricks and how they worked. After that he never took another partner instead settling for a pretty assistant named Henley. Of course he ruined that too and Henley left. I reached out to her to ask what happened and she described some jackassery that Daniel would definitely pull. We quickly became friends and I asked her if she wanted to start a partner act together, but sadly she didn't see herself in a magic career after what Daniel did. She gave me some ideas she had for tricks and moved to Colorado. we still keep in touch sometimes and she seems happy. After I found out what happened to Henley our feud quickly became more than just backhanded comments in interviews and became more clearly a feud. his fans and mine even going so far as to always leaving hate comments on each other pages even though i told them multiple times that i did not condone hate on Daniel's work when his problems lied more in him being a dick, but alas. and while i did have the feud with him, i did not have the displeasure of actually talking to him until march.


	2. chapter 1, y/n's pov

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what y/n was doing when she found her card.

Thursday, Detroit Michigan

Tonight is the final night of my tour of the east coast and northern border. i'm finally gonna be premiering a trick that henley had had in the works for years, a saw box similar to the original sawing people in half trick but a escape box instead. It works a hair trigger timer that goes down to the second and releases two saws at different heights in the box that are held back and released by springs. It has taken a lot of practice to perfect but i think it'll be my most popular trick yet. looking down at my watch I see and I have 10 seconds until call time and and get in position in front of the box.   
10 inhale check your costume  
9 exhale make sure the chains are secured to the bottom correctly  
8 inhale check your watch again  
7 exhale make sure the springs are oiled  
6 inhale lower your neckline down a bit for appeal  
5 exhale think about what Danny's comment about your tits  
4 inhale pull your neckline back up  
3 exhale fix your hair  
2 inhale take a confident stance  
1 exhale showtime  
"Well you guys as sad as this makes me but this is our final trick tonight." I say making an exaggerated face and being met with awws.  
"the good news is that I am debuting a new trick that my dear friend Henley, helped me create. thus beauty here is a twist on the classic sawing a girl in half trick but instead its a box that i'm gonna have to unlock before those saws cut me right in half.'' I say making a cutting motion along my torso.   
"and if you're worried that those saw blades aren't real, we have a steak to demonstrate for me." I say motioning for my assistants and watching as they push the trigger hearing the ugly revving of the saw engines,and see them throw the meat into the edge of the top 2 blades, but not the bottom one. I watch as the meat gets ripped in two pieces. the assistants hit the trigger again and the blades retract into the box. They step back into the background and I step into the spotlight.   
"i have 60 seconds to unlock those shackles AND that padlocked chain to get out of the box. so if you boys would bring the timer up i will get in the box and you guys can close me in." i say, taking a step back, reaching for the box door. I glance up at the huge clock to see the minute hand pointing at the 0 and turn back around to face the audience while also motioning for my assistants to help me into the box. I step back, putting back my spine against the empty space in between the wooden sides and the boys move forward putting their hands on either side of me. I take their hands and step up and slide into positions. they reach down for the shackles and put them on my wrists gently. They secure them fully and I tug on it hard showing the audience that I can't escape.  
"jeez this brings me back to my college days, what memories." I say with a cheeky wink and a smirk, hearing some wolf whistles and whoops in response. They shut the translucent door in front of me and my vision is limited to what the shaded glass and the spotlight shows. hearing them move the chains up and secure the padlock, i shift my body slightly and check the release on the chain to both free my arms and to open the trap door beneath me.   
"boys if you would finally start up the timer and then move your pretty little asses out of the way for me then we can get on with it." i say jokingly, but they do as i ask and move back into the curtains just off stage.   
" ready 3, 2, 1, go!' i say as i hear the big clock start ticking ominously. I start feigning unlocking the chains as I hit the trigger with my foot and unlock my arms and legs. I start a video feed of me struggling to get out playing on a shadow box behind me so I can actually leave the box and mime along with it as I flip the trapdoor up. I then follow the video and squat down pretending to try to undo the leg chains, but in actuality I'm now going down the hole into the staging area beneath the stage. I jump down leaving the video playing above me and my assistant underneath me helps me down.   
" Okay you get changed and climb up and mime along while I use the stairs after I get into your costume. just like we practiced.'' I whisper as I start pulling on the cheap pull away seams on my and rip my skirt off. I then reach to the folded pants that match my assistant's costumes and tug them on. I turn back around and see Mark in a larger copy of my tiny skirt and dress shirt. running over to the dress shirt+vest combo and tugging it on over my shirt. I check on Mark who's pulling himself up into the box, and see my watch timer I set as I pretended to struggle with the chains, hit the 20 second mark so I start running towards the back stairs leading back up into the backstage area covered by curtains. I pull my hair up and grab the wig I know is sitting across from James on the other side of the stage behind curtains. tugging the wig on gently, I adjust it and look at James for approval, he gives a thumbs up and we hear the chanting of the crowd counting as the timer gets down to the wire. James and i start walking back towards the stage as the timer gets down to 5 seconds. the saw blades should be going in at this point and I know Mark is moving his head down against the opposite wall to avoid the hip height saw and the shoulder height one.   
"3…2...1…!" the crowd shouts as the buzzing of saws replace the loud chantings of the crowd. I move forward on the right side of the box and wait for James to swing the door open to reveal mark. The door creaks open slowly to reveal a dazed looking mark who looks down at his outfit and quickly covers himself. He confusedly looks around and the crowd looks at me as I take my wig off and shrug.  
"whoops!" i say as i help mark down and take center stage in front of the box once again.   
"well you guys that's it for tonight, i hope you liked the new trick. I'm y/n l/n, goodbye and goodnight." i say as i wink and chuck a flash grenade at the ground, giving me the chance to run off the left entrance and run out the front door. I laugh as the audience turns to look at me run off.

later that night

I'm walking around collecting my things and slowly helping clean up the trash left behind by the crowd when I see something stuck in the saws of the box I had yet to pack up. I leap up the side of the stage, pulling myself up and approaching the box. getting close to the box, i see it's a tarot card stuck in the shoulder saw. grabbing the card I examine it further and see not only is it the high priestess card, but that there's also a date and address on the back. I start to smile.


	3. chapter 2, Daniel's pov

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they find the apartment

march 29, new York city

As the sucky cab I took to get to the mysterious address stamped on the back of a tarot I found in a shoe in my apartment, lulls to a stop, I glance up at the grungy apartment building. it appeared to simply be a cheap and dirty apartment complex just like every other place in New York city I've ever had the displeasure of being in. my apartment is no mansion, but it at least doesn't look like you'll get 6 stds if you step foot inside. I reach over for the handle of the door and slowly slide out of the sticky leather seats that are a quintessential part of every taxi ride in New York. Just before I shut the door, I remember the driver and pull a 5 dollar bill out of my wallet and hand it to him. I had already stopped to put my luggage at the cheap hotel I'm staying at before coming here so I didn't have to worry about it. Besides I don't know what was in this apartment, this could just be an elaborate trap to mug me, but I doubt it. no criminal takes the time to set up a tarot card in an apartment, when they could have just robbed me when they snuck in to place the card. looking both ways before i cross, i start heading over to the wooden doors that mark the entrance. pushing the doors open, I quickly review the lobby. a wood counter with a sign, rusty metal stairs and an entryway going down to what I assume is maintenance. I walk over to the counter and check out the sign.  
"just let yourself in, we don't have a bell" it reads in a messy scrawl of ink  
'how secure' I think as I walk up the metal stairs. I pull the card out of my pocket to check out the address once again and confirm that I am in the right place. I almost start up the next flight of stairs when I hear voices talking above me. I lean my head over the landing's railing to look up at them and see a woman's hand wrapped around the railing, her brightly painted nails standing out against the black of the metal.   
'something about that hand is oddly familiar.' I think but I brush it off as being on edge as I start up the stairs purposely making enough noise to let them know I'm coming up. A man's voice edges out the woman's and I hear the woman laugh in response, the light noise in a strange contrast to the voice I recognized as the woman's. Then as I took the final step up the stairs I heard the strange almost hiccupy end to the woman's laughter. a sound i had come to associate with y/n's joyous laugh and saw her smile fade away as she turned and saw me standing there.  
"Danny… I should have figured honestly. I can never seem to get away from you." she says crossing arms in front of her covering whatever graphic was printed on the oversized lime green t-shirt.  
"oh please like you would ever wanna stop mooching off my fame.'' I say rolling my eyes and smirking, taking a step down the hallway towards the random door y/n was now leaning against. I scan the area, seeing another door, an older bald older man that I recognized as Merritt Mckinney an old mentalist who fell off the fame bandwagon years ago, leaning against the doorway off.  
"i'm assuming that we are all here for the same reason, correct? I ask no one in particular but Merritt answers.  
"Yeah y/n and I got these tarot-" he starts to say but I cut him off before he can finish.   
"yeah i got one too, the door you're leaning on why aren't we ya know going inside? not that i don't love standing in dirty hallways and rekindling old flames , but uh i would like to see whatever we are here for before midnight." I say pushing past Merritt and he moves, obviously mocking me behind my back to make y/n laugh.  
"It's locked, asshole. Do you honestly think we wouldn't have checked before we decided to stand here?" y/n says as i jiggle the doorknob.  
" i wouldn't put it past you, y/n you did accidentally lock yourself inside your own dressing room once." i say turning back around to face y/n as Merritt takes his place back against the door.   
"I did not, you got one of your little fangirls to lock me in as a prank and forgot about it." she says scoffing.  
" i would never do such a heinous thing to you, y/n." i say feigning offense and taking the time to really take in y/n. I hadn't seen her in person for years and even then most of what i saw of her were mostly her performance videos which I had a tendency to watch drunk and make some rude comments in the discussion section. Her signature hair is longer and more untamed than in her videos and her skimpy costumes were replaced by a lime green graphic tee, obviously stolen from someone taller than her as she had to tuck it into the top of her grey pleated skirt. her slender legs were partially covered by emerald green patterned knee high socks and white converse high tops taking the place of black patent leather pumps. as for face wise she looked the same for the most part except that she had lost some baby fat in her face so her cheekbones were much more visible. She also had some bright eyeliner that complimented the glowing eyes beneath it. to be frank, she looked fucking great.   
'fuck shes gonna know i'm staring if i don't distract her.' i think.  
"so what have you been up to, y/n? I say, fully aware she knows I've been watching her performance videos and hoping it'll spark a little spat.  
"don't pretend like i haven't seen you and your little fangirl's comments on my Detroit video. really classy you know, virtual hate comments make you seem like such a gentleman. cant even face me in real life to say you think i'm a dumb slut with no talents." she says having taken the bait.  
"mean if you want me to vocalize my online comments here and now, I can, but then again seems a bit degrading doesn't it? Besides you were the one who brought up Henley like that, what did you expect, did you really expect to be greeted with a warm reaction." I say standing across from her.  
"i didn't do it to get a reaction out of you, you know, I did it because i wanted to credit my friend and actually treat her with respect unlike SOME people i know." she replies.  
"bullshit, you wanted payback for the time I debunked your floating audience member trick. you aren't nearly as high and mighty in real life as you are online, i might just start recording these little conversations of ours as leverage. you wouldn't want people knowing you're just as bad as Daniel atlas." i say purposely trying to rile her up  
"and no one would believe you, because i'm mean to you." she says as she starts to smile.  
before i can answer however Merritt interrupts. "I am so sorry to interrupt this wonderful show of both of your abilities to tear people apart and very rudely comment on either their flaunting of their sexuality or their lack of sensitivity to people's emotions, but it seems this young man is trying to get your attention to most likely get to his apartment." he says gesturing behind us. I turn to come face to face with a young and attractive man in a leather jacket, standing just behind and in between me and y/n. y/n immediately moves out of the way and i shortly follow and watch as the man walks down to the door Merritt was by.  
"actually no i got a card with this address on it. and I recognize you guys. you're Daniel atlas, you're y/n y/ln, and you're Merritt Mckinney. it makes sense why you guys here but i'm not sure why i got one. oh i'm jack wilder by the way" he says as he pulls the card out to show us and sure enough the card matches.  
" is that the apartment?" he asks while nodding toward the door. we nod and he asks another question. " well then what are we waiting for?".   
"It's locked." we all say in unison.  
"nothing is actually ever locked." he says while crouching in front of the keyhole and getting out some tools. Within minutes, he cracks it and opens the door. we follow him inside.


	4. chapter 3, y/n's pov

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they go in the apartment

march 29, new York city

stepping inside the clearly abandoned apartment, a wave of mildew and rotting food hits my senses and I cringe.   
"well guys as much as we'd like to believe this is about meeting some fancy magic dude, but it is becoming more and more likely that we've stumbled upon a dead body." I say using my hand to try to block the smell out.  
"catch." Danny says chucking a small glass bottle of scented oil at me. I sidestep the vial and let it shatter across the dirty wood floor.   
"why would you do that?" Danny says as he moves around me gently.  
"maybe she's got nelophobia.'' Merritt says in response to Danny.   
"how else were you gonna spread a tiny bottle of essential oil around a whole area? it's not like this is exactly a quick visit." I say joining them in the main room.  
"that is true." Jack replies, joining me in the living room.  
The living room area was completely emptied except for a note card, a single white rose, an outline of a symbol, and vase of water. I move to pick up the rose while Danny grabs the card.  
"what's it say? Jack asks.  
"Now you don't," Daniel says, sounding slightly lost. as i pick the rose up to move to the vase, i prick my finger on a thorn, but ignore it. as the rose falls into the vase, water begins to slowly leak, almost creeping towards the engraved symbol on the floor. the water filling the rivets, and drips down into dry ice, letting smoke. as it rises back up the symbol jack almost panicky, states.  
"its gas."  
"relax, it's dry ice." Merritt responds.  
"wait what do you think all this is about?" Danny asks.  
Suddenly Merritt braces his hand against his forehead and scrunches up his eyes in concentration and we all pause to watch him. His face distorts as if in thought and then as soon as it starts, he stops.  
"yeah i got nothing." Merritt says with a shrug.  
"okay thank you. Thank you for the delay." Daniel says bitterly.   
"i'm just trying to create the space for wisdom." Merritt replies.   
"So you're like Buddha if he wasn't so enlightened." Daniel says.  
"and you're like Jesus if he was arrogant and all of his miracles were fake." Merritt quips back.  
"get room, you two. Be honest, Danny, did you do this?" I ask, walking around the room.  
"no,-" Danny replies but before he can finish I interrupt him.  
"Did you, jack?' I ask turning to look at him.  
he stops admiring the next room, turns to look at me, and says with an almost laugh. " i wish."  
"why didn't you ask me if i did it?" Merritt asks a tone of almost offense in his voice.  
"because mentalists aren't typically known for the wild and elaborate tricks. And also in your glory days you never were one for any elaborate set pieces or trick set ups." I respond.  
"aww, you're a fan of my work and while I'm flattered, i don't date groupies." he says as he walks over to me and lightly taps the end of my nose.  
I laugh and reply. "not a groupie, Merritt, a quick wikipedia visit works all the same."  
I then notice Daniel walking down some hallway towards a door.  
"electricity's out." Jack says as he flicks a switch in the kitchen.  
Merritt underneath a hanging light fixture reaches up and goes to screw the light bulb in as he says. "well, let's check."  
as the bulb flickers on, a flash of blue light leaps out of the four corners each of us were exploring and comes together to project a huge mess of things. Some of them were symbols, some of them were instructions, but something else catches my eye.  
"blueprints." I say astonished.  
"they're incredible." Daniel says as tiny flashes of blue cover his face.  
"who do you think did this?" Jack asks.  
"no idea, but i'd kill to meet them." i say in response.  
As the hologram continues to play out, I realize something. "it's a show, you guys."


End file.
